Carrier stock as exemplified in Weaver et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,117 is employed commonly for machine application, typically with machines described in Braun U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,682 or other similar jaw and drum machines, to substantially identical cans, such as beverage cans utilized commonly to contain beer and soft drinks. Such cans have annular chimes at their upper ends, cylindrical side walls, and frusto-conical walls between the chimes and the side walls. Such stock is formed, as by die-cutting, from a single sheet of resilient polymeric material, such as low density polyethylene.
Such stock has integrally joined band segments defining can-receiving apertures in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks. The band segments include generally longitudinal outer segments with each outer segment partly bounding the can-receiving apertures in an outer row.
In the carrier stock illustrated and described in the aforenoted patent, the band segments also include inner segments partly bounding the can-receiving apertures, along with transversely extending segments joining the inner segments. When such stock is applied effectively, the band segments defining the can-receiving apertures grip the frusto-conical walls of the cans tightly and engage the lower edges of the chimes.
Can manufacturers have in the past introduced cans having smaller chime diameters, as compared to the diameters of the side walls. Cans of this type are known as "necked-in" cans. The newest version of these necked-in cans further and drastically reduces the ratio of the chime diameter and the side wall diameter.
In a necked-in can of a newer type, the frusto-conical wall between the chime and the side wall defines a conical angle greater than approximately 28.degree., and in some instances as great as approximately 37.degree.. When the frusto-conical wall defines such a large angle relative to the can axis, it is difficult to apply carrier stock as exemplified in the aforenoted Weaver et al. patent effectively, since the band segments defining the can-receiving apertures have an undesirable tendency to slide up the cans and to rest on the cans above the lower edges of the chimes. This tendency is enhanced due to the jaw application system mentioned above.
Thus, there is a need, to which this invention is addressed, for carrier stock that can be effectively applied to cans of the newer, further necked-in type.